Avangrid Brings New Solar Capacity to Texas Grid

---

Written by Daniel Graeber for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Renewable energy company Avangrid Incorporated (NYSE:AGR) (Orange, Connecticut) announced Monday that the first power from the True North Solar project near Waco has reached the grid, with 20 megawatts (MW) of energy commissioned so far.

"This is great news, not just for the on-time construction of True North, but for the state of Texas at large," said Pedra Azagra, the company's chief executive officer.

At its peak, True North would have 321 MW in design capacity. Once completed, it would help power a nearby data center for Meta Platforms Incorporated (NASDAQ:META) (Menlo Park, California), the parent company of Facebook.

Industrial Info is tracking nearly $800 billion worth of active data center projects throughout the world. For more information, see June 27, 2024, article - IIR Webinar: Rapid Growth in Data Center & Semiconductor Sectors Brings Strong Spending, New Challenges.

Data centers generally require a strong power supply, internet reliability and government stability. The strain from demand is being placed on the oil and gas sector to provide the fuel needed for these operations.

But power supply can be a constraining factor where supply may not be enough to meet anticipated demand.

The most power-hungry of all data centers are those used for artificial intelligence (AI) applications, which can use up to five times the power of other data centers. Power demand required by data centers is expected to rise from 17 gigawatts (GW) to 35 GW by 2030 in the United States alone.

Areas of northern Virginia, which has one of the strongest concentrations of data centers in the world, are having to curtail development because of an inability to supply these facilities with the power that they will require.

The Texas grid, meanwhile, is already under strain, largely from climate-related issues. During the winter, cold snaps can freeze and ultimately idle the state's wind farms, while the grid in general is under threat during the summer from hurricanes forming in the Atlantic.

There are no storms brewing in the Atlantic and the National Hurricane Center said in its latest forecast for Tuesday that no activity was expected over the next 48 hours. Cleanup, however, continues along the Gulf Coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl.

The storm hit Texas as a Category 1 hurricane on July 8, dropping 10 inches of rain on the Houston metropolitan area and leaving around 2 million people without power in the immediate aftermath.

Speaking Sunday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) called on utility companies to do a better job in preparing for hurricanes.

"Everyone should be prepared for severe weather events, including during hurricane season," he said.

As of March, federal data show most of the power generated in Texas comes from natural gas, though non-hydroelectric renewable power such as wind and solar is a close second.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).